It is known that medical disorders such as diabetes, leukemia, anemia, X-ray exposure, and so forth can cause impotence in males and frigidity in females. Furthermore, it is known that the application of electrical stimulation to penile tissue can cause erection where impotence may exist due to these physiological conditions or due to psychological conditions. Likewise, the application of electrical stimulation to female genitalia can cause arousal when frigidity may exist due to these physiological conditions or due to psychological conditions. Indeed, it is known that the application of electrical stimulation to penile, vaginal, clitoral, anal, or prostate tissue can induce orgasm, even where the subject has suffered damage to the nerves serving the sex organs.
The art is replete with various devices used to apply electrical stimulation to the subject areas. Rigid rings capable of transmitting low levels of electricity to the skin and muscles are typically applied about the penis and/or the scrotum. Insertable rolled or plug-type electrodes, made to be rolled to size, or sized in a variety of sizes to fit the user's anatomy, are known for the purpose of applying low levels of electricity to the skin and muscles inside and surrounding the penis, the vagina, and the anus.
Rigid rings are useable for males where the application of electrical current to only a portion of penile tissue is sufficient to induce erection. However, due to the tremendously varying size of the penile tissue from rest to engorgement, the rigid ring may cause discomfort or pain to the user when the penis is engorged. In order to avoid this problem, the user may use a large diameter ring on a small diameter penis or change rings at some point prior to engorgement. Unfortunately, a rigid ring that is too large may not produce the desired affect and changing rings may be viewed as being too inconvenient. Furthermore, a rigid ring is not useable for females since the female genitalia are largely internal organs.
For both males and females, internally worn insertable electrodes are desirable to stimulate and to induce orgasm. However, many of these prior art insertable electrodes are difficult to retain in the appropriate position, uncomfortable for prolonged wear due to rigid components, and hard to effectively clean.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.